I. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a sun shade apparatus mounted on a vehicle door or the like.
II. Description of Related Art
A motor-driven type of vehicle door sun shade apparatus drives a motor to perform an operation to force out or draw in a cable. With this operation, a curtain connected to the cable is stretched. A window portion of a vehicle door is shielded by stretching the curtain in this way to prevent an increase in temperature in the vehicle compartment and protect [[a]] privacy in the vehicle compartment. See, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2003-182358 and 2005-96529.
However, since the curtain stretching operation is performed by driving a motor in such a sun shade apparatus, the cable or the curtain, or a connector for connecting the cable and the curtain or the like may be deformed, for example, when a foreign object is jammed in the curtain stretching direction to impose an excessive load in the direction opposite to the cable forcing-out or drawing-in direction. This may cause a malfunction.
There has been a need to provide a rail for the stretching operation based on use of a cable. If the rail sectional area is increased, for example, as a result of the provision of a safety mechanism (a mechanism for stopping the operation in the event of emergency) or the like for ensuring safety at a position in the course of the cable operation, the area of vision may be so reduced that a safety check may be difficult.